Crushing that job interview – Part 2: During the interview

You’ve made it into the interview room. And sitting in front of you is the interviewer. So now what? First of, in case you missed the first part of the series on “Crushing that job interview”, be sure to visit Part 1.

That said, here are some tips to consider during the interview:

1. Comport yourself well and stay calm: It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, and hopefully your nerves are calmed down reasonably well. After you must have greeted your interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake, focus your attention on the interviewer. Listen carefully to the questions you are being asked and don’t be afraid to request that a question be repeated or elaborated on; just don’t do this for every question as it may mean you aren’t paying attention.
2. Keep your responses concise and authentic: Remember to apply the STAR (Situation Task Action Result) technique discussed in Part 1, #4 especially for behavioural questions. Also, if you get asked a question you don’t know, instead of simply responding with “I don’t know what that is.”, continue by adding, “… but I will be glad to research that.” This way you’ll be turning what seems like a negative event to a positive opportunity to learn something new.
3. Sell yourself well: It is your opportunity to prove to the interviewer that you are the right person for the position so endeavour to maximize the opportunity. Don’t just state the skills and knowledge you’ve got. Go a step further to explain how your skills and experiences match the requirements of the position as well as how they will benefit the company.
4. Ask questions: Interviewers gauge interviewees’ interest in a job based on whether or not interviewees ask questions. Perhaps you weren’t clear about something the interviewer said earlier or you’ve just learnt some interesting facts about the company and need some more information – don’t hesitate to ask the interviewer. Also, be sure to prepare some questions before the interview.
Here are some questions you could ask:
– “What will a typical workday be like at this position?”
– “What are the most challenging aspects of this position?”
– “How does the company reward excellence in the workplace?”
– “Do you have any concerns about my eligibility for this position that you want to me address?”
– “What is the next phase of the hiring process after the interview?”
Those are only a few questions you can ask; try not to leave the interview without asking your interviewer a non-trivial question. Here are some more questions you can ask.

The next and final article on this series will cover the things you should consider after the job interview. Stay tuned.